Snow Files

18 year old Bill Little was murdered Easter Sunday while working as a gas attendant at the Clark Oil station in Bloomington, Illinois. Nearly 10 years later, Jamie Snow was convicted of the murder and sentenced to life without parole in Stateville Prison. Jamie Snow has always maintained his innocence. In the premiere episode of Snow Files, Jamie Snow explains the crime scene in depth. You'll learn "who was where" on the night of t...

Hours after the crime, police began interviewing potential witnesses in an effort to find out who killed Bill Little. The detectives engaged in a desperate hunt for 9 years. As time went on, stories changed several times and a star witness was born, at the 11th hour. Five months before Jamie Snow’s trial, the man living next door to the gas station suddenly recalled seeing Jamie flee the scene of the crime, even though he previousl...

The night of the crime, two witnesses spoke to police officers after realizing the gas station clerk was shot dead. Both witnesses had seen someone suspicious, but not dangerous. A boy, looking out his bedroom window, saw someone leave the gas station and turn the corner into the night. He then heard police sirens and saw an ambulance. Minutes earlier, a customer at the gas pump looked on as someone harassed the clerk inside. When ...

In 1991, there was a string of armed robberies in McLean county and a task force formed. Jamie was implicated in a robbery he did not commit, arrested, and made to participate in a lineup for an unrelated murder. He was cleared. Charges were dropped. Nine years later, he found himself on trial, as the defendant for that murder. A detective who interviewed him about the robbery took the stand, and replaced the word “robbery,” with “...

Famed private investigator, author and president of The International Association of Forensic Criminologists (IAFC), Paul Ciolino, who was instrumental in overturning the death penalty in Illinois, joins the show to discuss his expertise with wrongful convictions in Illinois. Paul provides insight into how informants are motivated to give false witness testimony, and how powers of authority allow, encourage, and actually protect in...

In 1991, a BPD task force made several arrests for a string of armed robberies. Ed Palumbo, an acquaintance of Jamie's, confessed a robbery while in jail. One month later, he told police that he knew Jamie was involved in crimes, and that he even confessed to a murder through his car window as they passed each other on the street. He later came back and said his girlfriend, Shannon Schmidt-Wallace, heard the whole conversation hers...

In the spring of 1991, a group of friends allegedly gathered for a house party in a neighborhood one mile west of the murder scene. Steve Scheel arrived at the home of his niece, Molly (Pfister) Esche / Eads, and within one hour, an old childhood acquaintance casually confessed to murdering a kid, while they were just catching up on life for five to ten minutes. The friend was supposedly Jamie Snow. But Jamie doesn’t even know Sche...

In 1999, while the grand jury was hearing testimony for Jamie Snow’s indictment, a cold case detective with a vendetta started his day bright and early. He had important business to take care of with his paid informant. Detective Rick Barkes woke up Randy Howard at 5:30 AM and to check and see if Jamie told him a joke or a murder confession 8 years prior. Randy had received $500 from a lead homicide detective around the same time h...

In 1995, convicted rapist Bill Moffit was serving his lengthy sentence for a most heinous crime. While chatting with his cellmate, he learned of a precious rumor that might help him out. Some guys he knew from the world might have been involved in a robbery, and he recalled bunking with one before. He felt it was just his luck. So Bill Moffit called the cops, asked about the reward, and said that Jamie confessed to the robbery gone...

In 1996, bank robber Ed Hammond was sitting in prison, concerned about a looming 10 year federal sentence. He had a cell mate the year before who had gossiped about Jamie Snow and recently flipped. So when the police came knocking, asking him for information, he knew just what to say. Hammond fabricated an entire relationship with Jamie, who was then a stranger to him. He took the stand, admitted he had a bad history, but said that...

In 1994, repeat DUI offender Bruce Roland wrote to the McLean State's Attorney's Office twice, pleading for leniency, saying he could get them an indictment in the Clark gas station murder. But when they sent detective Crowe to interview him, nothing happened, because Roland only reported rumors he heard from others. But in 1999, he was in jail for another DUI. This time he really needed the favor. So he said Jamie confessed to him...

In 1999, BPD held an in person meeting with Karen Strong. Karen reported that her ex-boyfriend, Mark “Stretch” McCowan, supposedly told her years earlier that Jamie was involved in the Clark Station murder-robbery. Two months later, Stretch told a grand jury that they never had that conversation. But Karen told them it happened. She added in that Jamie was once in a lot of trouble and tried to hide out at their place too. Nine mont...

Contestants Jamie, Tam, and Lesley play a trivia game moderated by Bruce, to test our memory of who said what, and how they affected Jamie’s case. We run down the crime scene witnesses, lawyers, and informants we have discussed in episodes 1 – 13. Listen in to see if you could convict someone of murder based off your own memory.

Episode Transcript: http://www.docs.snowfiles.net/transcripts/SnowFiles_Ep_14.pdf

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A message in a bottle was traditionally sent as a distress call, by those at sea who found themselves doomed. Jamie Snow understands the sentiment all too well. Jamie has sent his own SOS pleas via message in a bottle a few times...This time, Jamie needs YOUR help. Jamie doesn’t want to send one bottle again. He wants to send MANY. From each of YOU. With your own SOS pleas, asking for TV producers to take a closer look into Jamie’s...

For six months in 1995, Kevin Schaal was Jamie’s cellmate. Jamie settled in Florida the next year and began a successful career in tree cutting. When Schaal was released, he brought his entire family to Jamie’s doorstep and Jamie helped him. Jamie met Jody Winkler in 1999 while he was down on his luck and on the run. Jamie gave him work and a place to live that summer. But that summer, Schaal was already in more trouble. Schaal tri...

In 1999, a "self-appointed" gang boss turned Reverend returned to the state of Illinois to testify against Jamie. Jamie never met Bill Gaddis in his entire life. Bill Gaddis was loosely connected to some of Jamie’s friends only through relation to his brother. Two of his brothers would go on record to say Bill Gaddis was a liar and new nothing about this case. But he took the stand for the state anyway, and said he saw Jamie in his...

Just days before the trial, defense witness Mary Burns, an all too friendly corrections officer, was contacted by the state. Reports suggest that she resigned from the McLean County Jail in 2000, after having an affair with an inmate she supervised. Custodial sexual misconduct is a class 3 felony in Illinois. Mary Burns reported having many conversations with Jamie and his co-defendant while she supervised them. But Mary would only...

Julie Knight first told police about Susan Claycomb's alleged "confessions" in 1997 after Knight had been taken to the Bloomington Police station because of unspecified legal trouble. Knight made another statement in April 1999 a few days after losing custody of her children. Shortly after, it became a family affair. Knight's mother, brother and father also made statements to police implicating Susan, even though Susan had allegedl...

In 2001, Jamie Snow took the stand in his own defense against the charge of murder. Jamie’s legal team was extremely underprepared, and explained to him that if he did not testify, he wouldn’t win his case. He had one night’s notice that he would take the stand. But Jamie was hopeful. He figured if he told the truth, he didn’t have to prepare, he would be good. Jamie was on the stand for a very long time. He rebutted every witness ...